Re-imagining Early Care and Education
Children’s Services Council is re-imagining the resources we offer programs and families who participate in formal child care to create better experiences and services for children and families in our community.
Currently, CSC offers scholarships to families to access child care, as well as professional development scholarships for teachers to earn their degrees. CSC also provides technical assistance and other supports to some child care programs to increase the quality of care. Since some of these supports are ending in fall 2024, we are engaging with child care providers, families and the community to help us make decisions about services and supports that can best prepare all children for kindergarten.
Community Engagement Findings
May through September 2023, CSC held a series of engagements to include the community's voice in decision-making. CSC received feedback from 577 residents (291 child care professionals and 286 parents/caregivers) through both in-person and virtual small group discussions, as well as individual interviews and online surveys.
After analyzing the information gathered, CSC staff identified four primary themes: Child Care Accessibility; Child Development and Wellness; Parent-Teacher Relationship and Mutual Support; Recruitment and Retention of Staff.
Please click here to read a summary of the Engagement Brief (English).
Please click here to read a summary of the Engagement Brief (Spanish).
Please click here to read a summary of the Engagement Brief (Creole).
Resident Advisory Committee Updates
In October 2023, CSC formed a Resident Advisory Committee (RAC) of families, child care providers, teachers, and staff to analyze the information gathered during this re-imagining process and recommend new services. The RAC consists of 15 Palm Beach County residents who helped CSC determine how best to repurpose more than $7 million in CSC funding.
The RAC spent 9 months learning about the current PBC early care and education landscape and reviewing engagement findings before identifying two key areas of focus: teacher retention and child development and wellness. RAC members examined several models to address teacher retention and child development needs and, based on that work, CSC will be implementing the following.
- Salary Supplements: to provide financial incentives to early childhood teachers who work with children ages birth through five in Palm Beach County to recognize their dedication and longevity in the early learning field.
- Classroom Supports: to provide on-site assistance in the classroom. Strategies being explored include those that support all children’s development; connect children with developmental and behavioral needs, and their families, to resources more quickly; build knowledge in behavior and classroom management; and strengthen parent-teacher relationships.
- Mini-Grants: One-time mini-grants in FY24/25 to PBC child care programs serving children who receive public funds. These grants will assist child care programs in addressing the key issues identified from the ECE engagements while CSC prepares to implement salary supplements and classroom supports.
Please click here to read a summary of the Engagement Brief and Recommendations.
For more information about Reimagining ECE with CSC please email reimaginingece@cscpbc.org.